Ambitious plans announced for two new college campus in the Vale

The Vale of Glamorgan Council and Cardiff and Vale College are working on ambitious proposals for two new multi million pound college campus developments.

Thursday, 14 March 2019

Vale of Glamorgan

The Council’s cabinet will next week consider the sale of two pieces of land to the college. One at the Innovation Quarter at Barry Waterfront and the other on land near to Cardiff Airport in Rhoose.

Cllr Jonathan Bird, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Planning, said: “While negotiations are at an early stage the Council is very keen to help Cardiff and Vale College realise its ambition of delivering two new state of the art college campuses in the Vale.

“The sites we have identified offer huge potential. Barry Waterfront is perhaps the most innovative urban regeneration project in Wales. It currently offers first class leisure opportunities, retail outlets and transport links, alongside a mix of housing. A sector leading higher education campus would be yet another exciting development.

“Equally, development of the second site near to Cardiff Airport would be an exciting early step on developing an area that we see driving forward economic development in the Vale in the near future.”

Mark Roberts, Chief Operating Officer at Cardiff and Vale College, said: “At CAVC we have an ambitious programme of investing in delivering innovative opportunities and facilities for learning in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan that will inspire current and future generations. The plans would be a major boost for the College, which is the third largest in the UK.

“CAVC has a long-standing commitment to the Vale and we want to upgrade our facilities and offer. This proposal features two brand new state-of-the-art campuses: one in Barry Waterfront which will offer a wide range of vocational and further education courses, and an aerospace and advanced manufacturing campus at Cardiff Airport with STEM centre, IT and cyber security courses.

“It would also represent a major step forward for our partners in employers and business as it will provide professional and higher level skills at the advanced manufacturing centre site at Cardiff Airport, where there is also room for future expansion of our operations in the Vale of Glamorgan.”

Both schemes will depend on Cardiff and Vale College securing funding, statutory consents and any development of the Innovation Quarter would require the consent of Welsh Government.